‘This was the last postcard home from my Great Grandfather circa 1914/15 before he was killed on HMS India off Norway.’
The transcribed text reads:
‘Sunday – Dear Will [my grandfather & his son] I am pleased to know you have joined the scouts. I hope you will get on well in them. Tell Fred [my grandfather’s brother & his other son] that I won’t forget him on his birthday. I will do the best I can for him. I will be anxious to get a reply from Mum to my last letter. Love you all from Dad xxxx’
‘The letter is addressed to W-m [William] Aers, C.G. [Coastguard] Station, Rye Harbour, Sussex. The stamp is showing George V circa 1914/15.’
‘I have found out some information on HMS India though and have discovered that some of her log book entries have been scanned online. It clearly shows on her log books that she was operating from Sheerness on the 29th April. Unfortunately there’s no date on my Great Grandfather’s post card, but it is reasonable to presume that my Grandfather was aboard her at this time as according to the log book she later operated from Glasgow and was sunk a few months later around the 8th August, 1915. When my Great Grandfather died, My grandfather was sent to the Royal Naval Hospital at Greenwich as a Naval orphan.'(See Below)
Image and text courtesy of William Aers